Vancouver Canucks 2026 Draft Grades
- Kyle Welsford
- 2 days ago
- 10 min read
Record Card
Grading Scheme:
A: Exceptional, Fantastic, Great
B: Good, Solid, Quality
C: Average, Ordinary, Meh
D: Bad, Poor, unsatisfactory
F: Terrible, Fail, Insignificant
N/A: Incomplete
Vancouver Canucks 2026 Draft Grades
In order of position drafted
Stats are taken from the highest level of competition played (min 20 games)
Caleb Malhotra: 3rd Overall/1st Round - C
(Grade B)
GP: 67 G: 29 A: 55 TP: 84 (OHL)
Selected third overall, Caleb Malhotra was one of the biggest risers in the 2026 draft class. In his first OHL season, entering the year projected as a second-round pick, Malhotra turned heads with a red-hot finish to his campaign with the Brantford Bulldogs, culminating in a scorching 26-point playoff run in just 15 games. By draft day, he had cemented himself as a legitimate top-5 pick and the best center in the draft.
The hockey case is easy to make. Many consider Malhotra the best two-way player in the draft and the center with the highest ceiling in the entire class. He's a left-shot center who competes hard in all three zones, drives play, and has shown he can produce when the lights are brightest. He's committed to Boston University next season, a program that has developed no shortage of NHL talent in recent years. For the second consecutive year, the Canucks have used their first-round pick on a center, following Braeden Cootes in 2025, doubling down on what they believe is the most important position on the ice. That said, many project Malhotra as a second-line center with a 50-65 point ceiling at the NHL level. For a third overall pick, that offensive upside is tough to swallow. The Canucks are betting that his rapid growth this past season is just the beginning. Time will tell.
The elephant in the room, however, is unavoidable. Manny Malhotra, Caleb's father, is the new head coach of the Vancouver Canucks. That is an unprecedented situation in NHL history, and it will be a never-ending storyline for as long as both are in the organization. Did the hockey merit earn this pick? Almost certainly yes. The optics aren't a minor footnote; they're a legitimate organizational concern that will never go away. It's not a knock on Caleb the player; it's an acknowledgment that this pick carries baggage no other pick in this draft does.
Worth noting: the Canucks passed on Chase Reid, who was considered by many to be the consensus third overall pick before sliding to Seattle at seventh. Whether that decision ages well remains to be seen.
Caleb Malhotra is the first player selected in this new rebuilding era for the Vancouver Canucks, and at third overall, the highest pick the organization has made since 1999. No pressure, bud!
Adam Novotný: 24th Overall/1st Round - LW/RW
(Grade A)
GP: 58 G: 34 A: 31 TP: 65 (OHL)
The Canucks got tremendous value when they selected Adam Novotný at 24th overall. At 6'1" and 205 pounds, the Czechia-born winger already boasts a pro-ready frame. Novotný burst onto the OHL scene last season, lighting it up with 34 goals and 31 assists for 65 points in 58 games. He plays with heavy pace, drives the middle of the ice, and possesses a legitimate NHL-calibre release. This wasn't a player who needed time to adjust to North American hockey; he arrived and immediately dominated.
This pick came courtesy of the Quinn Hughes trade with Minnesota, and the Canucks made it count. Novotný was a consensus top-15 prospect, ranked 14th by Elite Prospects and 15th on the consolidated board, yet somehow fell all the way to 24. How he was still available at that point is a question nobody in Vancouver is complaining about. High character, elite shot, strong two-way game, and a pro-ready body. Novotný is a high-floor player with legitimate top-six upside. The value here is impossible to argue with.
He also represented Czechia at the World Juniors, giving him international experience on top of an already impressive resume. Novotný is expected to return to the Peterborough Petes next season, unless he somehow forces his way onto the Canucks roster out of training camp. Don't rule anything out.
Brooks Bogowski: 33rd Overall/2nd Round - C
(Grade B)
GP: 46 G: 15 A: 27 TP: 42 (OHL)
The Canucks opened Day 2 of the draft by selecting one of the most physically imposing players in the entire class. At 6'7" and 235 pounds, Brooks Rogowski is an absolute unit of a center who turned 18 just two days before the draft. The size alone turns heads, but what makes Rogowski interesting is that he can actually skate. For a player his size, his mobility is genuinely impressive, and his puck skills give him a real chance to develop into something meaningful at the next level.
Rogowski's tools are easy to see. He moves well for his size, generates controlled entries, competes hard in both directions, and creates offence in the hard areas of the ice. The playmaking is just okay, and his pure scoring upside will be a point of contention, but his physical traits are the kind you simply cannot teach. The projection here is a competitive bottom-six center with the tools to potentially push higher if the offensive game develops.
Do you want more offensive upside at 33? Sure. But Rogowski went right around where he was ranked, so this isn't a reach. Many had Xavier Villeneuve as the best player available at this spot, but at 5'11", the QMJHL defenceman apparently wasn't quite tall enough for RJ and his team. With Rogowski, the Canucks made it three straight OHL forwards to open the draft, a clear statement of intent from a scouting staff that clearly had a strong read on that league this year. He'll return to Oshawa for the 2026-27 season before heading to Michigan State University the following year, making him a longer-term project for the organization. Sometimes you just draft the 6'7" center and see what happens.
Niklas Aaram-Olsen: 41st Overall/2nd Round - LW/RW
(Grade B+)
GP: 29 G: 20 A: 20 TP: 40 (SWE-JR)
Good value once again for the Canucks. Niklas Aaram-Olsen is one of the best pure goal scorers in the entire draft class, possessing one of the elite shots among all players available. He has been a prolific scorer at the junior level across two seasons with Orebro HK Jr., and his ability to threaten from the faceoff dot with strong hands and elite vision makes him a natural power play weapon.
Aaram-Olsen is a good skater who can transition pucks at even strength, and the offensive tools are genuinely exciting. The concerns, however, are real. Other areas of his game are lacking, his compete level is okay, he isn't overly hard to play against, and like a lot of pure shooters, he has a tendency to drift to the perimeter. He has NHL talent, but he is not a sure thing to play at that level without improving his all-around game.
The consolation is that he got 16 games of SHL experience this season, which is meaningful exposure for a player his age. He's committed to Boston University next season, where he will join Canucks first-rounder Caleb Malhotra. At 41st overall, the Canucks landed a player ranked around 36 on the consolidated board. Solid value, elite shot, real upside, the rest is up to him to figure out.
Dmitri Ivchenko: 78th Overall/3rd Round - G
(Grade B)
GP: 19 GAA: 1.91 SAV: .922 (MHL)
With a pick acquired from Columbus in the Conor Garland trade, the Canucks got in on a third-round run of goaltender selections by grabbing Dmitri Ivchenko. Standing 6'3", the athletic Russian netminder was a massive riser on NHL Central Scouting's boards, jumping from 8th among European goalies at midterm all the way to 4th by the final rankings. He posted a stellar .922 save percentage with Omsk in the MHL, and he did it all at just 17 years old.
Ivchenko was a tough prospect to evaluate this season because he didn't play a ton of games. When he did play, he looked dynamic and made a ton of high-difficulty saves. He's a bit chaotic in the net and needs to quiet his game down, but the tools are there. Elite Prospects ranked him the second-most technical and fourth-smartest netminder in the entire 2026 draft class, writing that if a team built their goaltending list around size and technique, Ivchenko would be one of the first names on that board.
He fits the Canucks mould perfectly. Great length, strong compete level, and excellent athleticism. The main area to watch is his ability to track pucks through traffic, where he can be susceptible to reacting late and giving up poor rebounds.
As the 7th goaltender taken in the 2026 draft, Ivchenko joins a Canucks pipeline that already includes Aleksei Medvedev, Ty Young, and Aku Koskenvuo. The hope is that he gets the opportunity to start for Yastreby Omsk in the MHL next season and continues to build on a very promising draft year. An exciting mid-round swing on a 17-year-old with legitimate NHL upside.
Yaroslav Bryzgalov: 97th Overall/4th Round - LW
(Grade B)
GP: 64 G: 13 A: 42 TP: 55 (WHL)
Yaroslav Bryzgalov is a re-entry prospect who made the most of his second chance. Passed over in last year's draft after a disappointing 17-point season in the USHL, the 6'4", 216-pound Belarusian left winger completely changed the conversation with an impressive rookie campaign in the WHL, posting 55 points in 64 games with the Medicine Hat Tigers before adding 14 playoff points in 15 games. For context, that playoff output outproduced the Ruck twins, one of the most hyped prospect duos heading into the draft. Not bad for a re-entry.
The case for Bryzgalov is his playmaking. As Elite Prospects put it, he zips passes to play an overall fast game despite his lack of footspeed. He makes touch passes through the forecheck, beats sticks with quick hands, and manipulates defenders with look-offs to create cross-slot chances. He's also a physical player who finishes his checks and battles hard around the net. In his best outings, he's a battering ram, and there are flashes of an NHL-calibre shot in there too.
The concern is the skating. He's an upright, narrow skater with limited agility, and so much of his projection hinges on whether he can improve his footwork and find ways to compensate for his lack of speed. He's a big man with good hands who plays hard, but he has never scored at a truly high level. At 97th overall, the Canucks are betting on the tools. He heads to Merrimack of the NCAA next season, where the hope is that the skating catches up to the rest of his game.
Connor Davis: 129th Overall/5th Round - RW
(Grade B-)
GP: 59 G: 26 A: 29 TP: 55 (USHL)
In the fifth round, Vancouver targeted overage production by drafting forward Connor Davis. Passed over a year ago, the energetic dual-threat scorer put up 26 goals and 29 assists for 55 points through 59 games with the USHL's Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. He saved his best for last, putting up 24 points over his final 14 games, at times looking completely unstoppable down the stretch. His playmaking took a noticeable step forward from the prior year, and his stock was rising fast by the time draft day arrived.
Davis is a high-motor player who drives the puck with pace, protects it through contact, and hunts for chances around the net. He rarely gives up on a play, whether it's chasing wraparounds or finding his way into tight areas. The concern is his ability to consistently win inside positioning, which will only become harder as the competition level rises.
He's committed to the University of North Dakota next season, one of the most decorated hockey programs in the NCAA. This pick is a reflection of a scouting staff that placed a heavy emphasis on development path this year, and Davis fits that mould perfectly. In the fifth round, this is a fun bet on an over-ager who may just be getting started. Worth keeping an eye on.
Lucian Bernat: 176th Overall/6th Round - LW/RW
(Grade B)
GP: 37 G: 15 A: 16 TP: 31 (U20 SM-SARJA)
The Canucks stuck with size and drafted big Slovakian winger Lucian Bernat at 176th overall. Listed at 6'4" and 201 pounds, Bernat put up 31 points through 37 games with Tappara's U20 team in Finland, and at the U18 World Championship with Slovakia, he tallied four points in seven games. Elite Prospects described him as a shoot-first winger with solid physical tools and size to boot.
Bernat is a big winger who moves well for his size and has intriguing offensive skills. When you catch his best shifts, he's coming through the neutral zone with speed and making plays that make him look every bit like an NHL player. He has a decent shot to go along with it. The concerns are real, though. His IQ is ordinary; he doesn't create many chances for teammates, and his effort level is fine, but not a selling point. He chose to stay in Finland rather than report to the Owen Sound Attack this season, developing against older competition in Tappara's structured system. A mature call.
Ranked 98th by Daily Faceoff, the Canucks found real value at 176th. He heads to Owen Sound next season. In the sixth round, this is exactly the kind of size swing you want to take.
Samuel Eriksson: 184th Overall/6th Round - LHD
(Grade B)
GP: 32 G: 3 A: 3 TP: 6 (SWE-JR)
To end their day, the Canucks took their first and only defenceman of the entire draft, and true to form, they went big. At 184th overall, they selected left-shot defenceman Samuel Eriksson. He spent his draft year primarily with the Färjestad BK U20 program in Sweden, earning a one-game cameo in the SHL, and helped Sweden capture a Gold Medal at the U18 World Championship.
Eriksson is a massive defender at 6'5" and 212 pounds, and some believe that when he fills out, he will be very hard to play against. His strengths are clear; he uses his frame brilliantly to mitigate gaps, takes up enormous amounts of space without needing to move much, and has excellent stick work in the defensive zone that forces dump-ins and makes life miserable for opposing forwards. He's a punishing physical presence who plays calmly and rarely takes penalties.
The limitations are just as clear. He's a clunky skater with limited agility, can be inaccurate with his passing in the offensive zone, and doesn't have the puck skills to project as a two-way defender. His offensive involvement is largely limited to point shots.
The ceiling here is a menacing bottom-pair defender who kills penalties and makes the opposition pay every shift. For a sixth-round pick, that's a decent floor. Size, defensive instincts, and a Gold Medal already on the resume. Not a bad way to close out the draft.
Final Draft Thoughts:
The theme of this draft was impossible to miss. Size, speed, character, and compete. The Canucks were deliberate in what they were looking for, and they found it at every turn. From the 6'7" Rogowski in the second round to the 6'5" Eriksson closing out the draft, this was a class built with a clear identity in mind.
The headliners are genuinely exciting. Malhotra gives the Canucks a cornerstone center to build their rebuild around, and Novotný at 24 looks like one of the best value picks of the entire first round. Beyond the first rounders, the Canucks found consistent value throughout, with no real duds in the bunch. That is harder to pull off than it sounds.
Nine picks, nine players worth watching. For Ryan Johnson, this was a statement first draft as General Manager and could be the foundation of something special.
Final Draft Grade: B+
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